Preparedness
Running a smooth gaming session as Arbiter requires organization and a good working knowledge of the game system. Being well prepared before a session starts will ensure that you are ready no matter how the Players decide to proceed. The following is a list of supplies and advice to make your job as master of the Role-Playing environment easier. * Make sure you understand all the combat rules, and keep the Combat Modifier Tables close at hand. * It is helpful to have enough dice to roll multiple Strike Rolls simultaneously. * Use a scratch pad to keep track of Initiatives for enemy forces, as it is easy to lose track. Ideally, roll Initiatives and calculate Speed Factors before starting to run through the Segments of the Round. If multiple hostiles are involved, try to group them together and use the same Initiative. Never roll more than three Initiative Rolls per Round if you can avoid it. * A good working knowledge of the Skills System will allow you to better understand when Characters should be required to make Difficulty Factor rolls to check if a Skill succeeds, what Skill is appropriate at a given moment, and in what instances players should not receive Skill Experience Checks. * Make sure you have at least a rough map prepared for all areas the PCs are likely to encounter. The level of detail required will depend on the relative importance of a given area, and how closely you expect the Characters will explore them. Being over-prepared in this department can't hurt, as PCs frequently do the opposite of what you want, need, or expect. * Prepare any NPCs you will require ahead of time, but you only need to note the statistics that will likely be required. There is not usually a need to write down all the statistics for an NPC immediately upon creation. If you decide along the way that a particular NPC needs to have this power or that Skill, just make a note as you go. It is also a good idea to include written notes about Character Traits for NPCs as you develop them, so that they will be consistent over time, even if you have not used a particular individual for some time. * NPCs with special abilities, Actions, Spells etc require keeping extra close track of. Make sure you have written copies of all NPCs handy for all role-playing sessions, perhaps in a special file. * Keep a list of all current information that pertains to the Player Characters. It is a good idea to track the typical ACs, DRs, and modifiers to Strike and Defend of the adventuring party, so that you can determine the level of opposition required for a balanced scenario. Information not necessarily known by the PCs should also be recorded on this sheet, such as curses, ailments, bounties, guardian angels etc. * Give Characters awards for good role-playing, and let them know that they are being rewarded. This doesn't mean that Players should be notified of the exact amounts, or even every time. Use your judgment. * Try to regulate the speed at which the Characters advance by carefully considering the amount of experience you award. It can take a while to get a feeling for how fast Characters are advancing and whether or not things are well balanced. Just keep in mind that it shouldn't get away from you. See 'Awarding Experience Points' for further details. Category:Arbiter